Spring unit with limiting means



De@7 6 1966 M. N. JANAPOL SPRING UNIT WITH LIMITING MEANS Original Filed April 5, 1961 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,239,221 SPRING UNIT id/1TH LIMI'IING MEANS Melvin N. .Ianapoh lLos Angeles, Calih, .assigner to Wortso Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Continuation of application Ser. No. 160,421, Apr. 3, 1961. This application Mar. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 350,064 9 Claims. (Cl. f5-239) This application is a continuation of Vmy application Serial No. 100,421, tiled April 3, 1961, now abandoned.

This invention relates ,to the manufacture -of furniture and it is particularly concerned with bed or mattress constructions, or the like, wherein springs are employed to support a padded surface. l

Bedding, or furniture, of the type under consideration is characterized by a multiplicity of coil springs for the general purpose of providing a depressible `surfaceupon which a person can sit or lie. The coil springs have an hour glass shape for engagement with the opposed supporting and supported elements, namely,` the frame and padding respectively. It is a common practice to limit movement of said springs by tying them or by enclosing them in pockets, all for the purpose of establishing the maximum height to which they will Vbe free to extend. Specifically, it is ordinary practice to extend tie elements from the supporting frame to the upper end of the spring coils in order to'limit upward extension of said spring coils. Y

Bedding constructions areV commonly characterized by the combination of a spring unit and a mattress unit, and it is desirable to have a spring unit that is yielding but which nevertheless gives substantial support. That is,

iirmness is much to be desired, and in extreme cases a person will of necessity insert fiatelements between the spring unit and mattress unit in order to give this etect. lSaid flat elements that are used as inserts are usually in the nature of thin boards. V

A general object of thisinvention is to provide a spring unit that has yheight limiting'meansfor the springs without resorting to the usual tedious and costly tying and/or pocketing methods.

An object of this invention is to provide a spring unit that is inherently firm and yet resilient.

Another object of thi-s invention is to provide new and improved means to seat a spring in a unit of the type un` der consideration.

The various objects and features of this invention Iwill be fully understood from the following detailed description of the typical preferred form and application thereof, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional View taken as indicated by line 2v2 on FIG.,1, ,and showing the springs in a normal position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 2, and showing the action that takes place when the springs are depressed.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of `one of the springs and showing the manner in which the springs are seated.

In FIG. 1 of the drawings I have shown a typical embodiment of my invention in a spring unit X to be used underlying a mattress unit (not shown). It is to be understood that the present invention is applicable to other like units -of construction used to underlie a padding for the comfort of a person. As it is illustrated, the spring unit X involves, generally, a frame A, one or more sets of spring coils B, height limiting means C for the coils B, and a cover or padding D.

vflexible in the other direction.

3,289,221 Patented Dec. 6, 1966 The frame A is the supporting structure that carries the sets of spring coils B and it is of the desired shape as circumstances require. The sets of spring coils B can vary in number and arrangement and they are preferably in a series disposed transversely of the frame A. In aC- cordance with the invention the height limiting means C is cooperatively -related to the sets of spring coils B, there being a means C for each set of coils B.

The supporting frame A can be a simple rectangular structure having "side rails 10, a foot rail 11, and a head rail 12. As shown, the rails 10, 11 and 12 are alike in that each is a at elongate member disposed in a vertical plane and one right-angularly related to the other. Thus, the frame A is a four-cornered structure with parallel side rails 10, each rail having a bottom edge 1S and an upper edge 16.

The sets of spring coils B are usual in that they are in a straight series that extend between the side lrails 10. The number of individual coils can vary, six coils being shown, and each is a helically wound spring 17 disposed on a vertical axis.l The top `and bottom ends 18 and 19 of the springs 17 are closed and are round and in a plane normal to the axes of the springs. y

In accordance with theinvention, the frame A involves a spring support 25 that extends `transversely between the side rails 11i at the bottomedge 1S thereof. The support 25 is a substantially rigid member adapted. to withstand the compressive forces ofthe combined springs 17 of the sets of spring coils B. As shown, the springs` 17 are seated with their round bottom ends 19 received in arcuate channels 26 in the support 25. The support 25 is narrower than the diameter of the spring ends, the said arcuate channel 26 being formed about a `common center at 27. The top ends 13 of the spring `17are received in a like manner in the body parts ofthe means C `later described. The ends 13 or 19 are vanchored by one or more fasteners 21 drivenvinto place with a head overlying the spring end-(See FIG. 4).

With the construction thus far described it will be apparent that the spring unit is characterized by transversely disposed rows o-f springs 17, each row comprising a set of spring coilsB, said springs 17 being supported or carried by the supportZS to which they are mounted at their bottom ends 19.

In carrying out the invention, the height limiting means t C is cooperatively related to the springs`17 t-o permit their trated-in FIG. 2- of the drawings and it involves, generally,

an elongate element 39, flexible in one direction and in- More specifically, the element 3:0 is normally straight and liexible so as `to be deflected downwardly from the straight condition, but it is inflexible upwardly from said straight condition. In its preferred form, the means D comprises a seriesl of adjacently related bodies 31, hinge means 32 joining the bodies in said series and permitting said downward deflection, and means 33 inflexibly preventing said upward deflection.

The bodies 31 are adjacently related in a series overlying the row of spring coils B, there being a body 31 for each spring 17 and overlying the same. Each body 31 has a at bottom 34 with the arcuate channels 26 for the reception of the top end 18 of a spring 17, and a flat top 35 parallel with said bottom. The body 31 is of any suitable width, preferably of substantial width in order to'adequately support the padding D. As is indicated, thel bodies 31 are made of wwood, for example, of a hard wood.

The hinge means 32. joining the adjacently related bodies can vary and in accordance with the invention it is in the form of a band 36that extends from one body 31 to the other along the tops 35 of the said bodies. In actual practice, the band 36 is a band of metal, or the like, preferably of spring steel, in which case it vhas flexibility in that it is resiliently bendable. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal ends of the band 36 are coupled to the side rails by means of tension bands 37 of heavy burlap or the like, in order to allow for depression of said means C without inward collapse of the side rails 10. The said tension bands 37 are sufficiently stretchable in order to permit the downward ilexure of band 36. The band 36 is shown fastened to the bodies 31 by means of staple fasteners or the like, and in FIG. 3 I have indicated a flexure of the band 36 at the point of juncture between adjacent bodies 31.

The means 33 inexibly preventing said upward deflection is incorporated in the adjacently related bodies 31 which have abutting ends 40 and 41 that have face-to-face engagement when the element 30 of the means D is in the straight, or any other desired, normal condition. The ends 40 and 41 are flat, as described, and they depend from the band 36 to the end that a stop is formed in order to prevent upward movement of the bodies.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the element 30 cannot deffect upwardly, the band 36 being substantially incapable of elongation. However, the band 36 is thin and readily bent from its normally straight disposition and this is allowed to occur with consequent separation of the ends 40 and 41 as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, the springs 17 are limited in their upward movement, inflexibly, but they are readily depressible. Further, each individual row of springs is independently depressible without affecting adjacent rows of springs. In the drawings I have shown but a straight line of adjacently connected bodies 31, it being understood that said bodies 31 can also be interconnected longitudinally of the spring unit X, if so desired.

,Having described only a typical preferred form and application, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any modifications or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A spring unit of the character described and including, a set of spring coils in a series displaced from edges of the unit and disposed transversely between the said edges of the unit, and height limiting means comprising a series of bodies and each overlying one of said coils and forming an elongate normally straight element, hinge means joining said bodies for downward ilexure of said element, and means preventing upward ilexure of said element.

2. A spring unit of the character described and including, height limiting means comprising a series of bodies forming an elongate normally straight element, a flexible substantially non-stretchable band joining said bodies for downward exure of said element, and means preventing upward flexure of said element.

3. A spring unit of the character described and including, a set of spring coils in a series displaced from edges of the unit and disposed transversely between the said edges of the unit, and height limiting means comprising a series of bodies and each overlying one of said coils and forming an elongate normally straight element, hinge means joining said bodies for downward flexure of said element, and abutting faces on said bodies preventing upward flexure of said element.

4. A spring unit of the character described and including, height limiting means comprising a series of bodies forming an elongate normally straight element, a flexible substantially nonstretchable band joining said bodies for downward ilexure of said element, and abutting faces on said bodies preventing upward exure of said element.

S. A unit of furniture including, a frame, a set of springs supported by the frame in a series displaced from edges of the unit and disposed transversely between the said edges thereof, and height limiting means overlying the series of springs and comprising an element that is normally straight and exible so as to be depressed, and means preventing upward deection of said element.

6. A unit of furniture, including, a frame, a set of springs supported by the frame in a series displaced from v edges of the unit and disposed transversely between the said edges thereof, and height limiting means overlying the series of springs and comprising a series of bodies forming an elongate normally straight element, hinge means joining said bodies for downward flexure of said element, and means preventing upward flexure of said element.

7. A unit of furniture including, a frame, a spring supported by the frame, and height limiting means overlying the spring and comprising a series of bodies forming an elongate normally straight element, a ilexible substantially nonstretchable band joining said bodies for downward exure -of said element, and means preventing upward exure of said element.

8. A unit of furniture including, a frame, a set of springs supported 'by the frame in a series displaced from edges of the unit and disposed transversely between the said edge thereof, and height limiting means overlying the series of springs and comprising a series of bodies forming an elongate normally straight element, hinge means joining said bodies for downward exure of said element, and abutting faces on said bodies preventing upward flexure of said element.

9. A unit of furniture including, a frame, a spring supported by the frame, and height limiting means overlying the spring and comprising a series of bodies forming an elongate normally straight element, a ilexible substantially nonstretchable band joining said bodies for downward ilexure of said element, and abutting faces on said bodies preventing upward flexure of said element.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 277,115 5/1883 Cobb 5-239 X 1,190,618 7/1916 Appel 267-91 2,593,678 4/1952 Johnson 5-351 2,847,685 8/1958 Freedlander 5-354' 2,985,230 5/1961 Stern 5-354 X 2,992,443 7/1961 Winikoif 5--239 X FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

R. D. KRAUS, Assistant Examinez'. 

1. A SPRING UNIT OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED AND INCLUDING, A SET OF SPRING COILS IN A SERIES DISPLACED FROM EDGES OF THE UNIT AND DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN THE SAID EDGES OF THE UNIT, AND HEIGHT LIMITING MEANS COMPRISING A SERIES OF BODIES AND EACH OVERLYING ONE OF SAID COILS AND FORMING AN ELONGATE NORMALLY STRAIGHT ELEMENT, HINGE MEANS JOINING SAID BODIES FOR DOWNWARD FLEXURE OF SAID ELEMENT, AND MEANS PREVENTING UPWARD FLEXURE OF SAID ELEMENT. 